‘SILICON GORGE’
The West of England is fast becoming one of the most dynamic technology clusters in the world.
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Sidmouth has beaches and cafés, woodland walks and a vibrant high street: Sidmouth: one of the ‘best places to live in 2023’ – Vision Group for Sidmouth
It also has a lot of professionals working from home – using the web to interact with colleagues and clients: Decentralization and technology-enabled home working – Vision Group for Sidmouth and The Sid Valley Neighbourhood Plan – supporting an entrepreneurial culture – Vision Group for Sidmouth
It seems, then, that there is huge potential for ‘tech’ in the South West.
Business Live has been running pieces over the last year, including the value of tech to the economy:
Devon, and in particular Exeter, was highlighted as an internationally recognised hub for climate research, through the work of organisations such as the Met Office and the Devon Climate Emergency Response Group, with Plymouth described as a “world leader” in marine and health tech. South West tech could be worth nearly £20bn by 2026, report finds – Business Live
In the meantime, the regional capital has become a real hub: Bristol among most successful European cities for tech investment in 2022 – Business Live
A piece in today’s Business Live brings some of these promising threads together:
The West of England is fast becoming one of the most dynamic technology clusters in the world. The region is still a stronghold for agriculture, food and tourism, of course, but these days it’s so much more than that. In the last decade, the South West – a region stretching from Cornwall, Devon and Dorset to Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire – has firmly established itself as a powerhouse for tech. It’s even been given the moniker ‘Silicon Gorge’ in recent years.
Dan Pritchard, co-founder of Tech South West, said: “When you put it all together, the innovation and acceleration happening across the South West of England is startling.”
Here, we take a look at the South West tech companies to watch in 2023. In no particular order…